Healthy Skepticism Library item: 14368

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

de Beaufort I, Vandamme S.
'No willpower required'. The slimming industry and the right to sell dreams
Med Law 2008 Mar; 27:(1):215-28.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18592893

Abstract:

Many products to lose weight are presented on the market. The products are advertised with two ‘arguments’: the health-argument: obesity and overweight are dangerous for your health, and the beauty argument: obesity and overweight make you ugly. The authors raise ethical questions with regard to the promises made and discuss the following arguments: the exploitation of vulnerable persons who are told they are unhealthy and ugly, the stigmatization of obese people as lazy and without willpower, and the harm some treatments may cause. They argue that raising the health argument should be analyzed very critically as obese people are vulnerable and susceptible to all kind of promises. With regard to the beauty argument, they argue that ‘selling dreams’ is perhaps less problematic as people are not as susceptible and vulnerable with regard to promises on beauty and therefore less likely to be seduced by such promises. People should be empowered to be very critical of (advertisements for) slimming products.

Keywords:
Advertising as Topic/ethics* Beauty Culture* Commerce* Humans Obesity/prevention & control*